Description

The project provides for the design and construction of a 2.2 mile long roadway within a minimum 150-foot right-of-way. Between Waters Discovery Lane and West Old Baltimore Road: a four-lane divided roadway (two lanes in each direction) will be constructed, along with an eight-foot wide shared-use path on the west side and a five-foot wide sidewalk on the east side, with landscaping panels. Between West Old Baltimore Road and Stringtown Road: a two-lane roadway will be constructed, along with an eight-foot wide shared-use path on the west side, leaving space for the two additional master-planned lanes and a five-foot wide sidewalk on the east side to be built in the future. A bike path will be provided on the east side from existing Observation Drive near Waters Discovery Lane to Little Seneca Parkway to provide greenway connectivity. Traffic signals will be provided at the Shawnee Lane, Little Seneca Parkway, and West Old Baltimore Road intersections. A bridge approximately 550 feet in length will be constructed near Waters Discovery Lane, ending at West Old Baltimore Road near the future MTA Comsat Station.

Location

Clarksburg and Germantown

Estimated Schedule

Final design is projected to begin in Summer 2019 and will be completed in Summer 2021. Land acquisitions will start in Summer 2021 and continue through Summer 2023. Construction will begin after FY20.

Justification

This project is needed to provide a north-south corridor that links existing Observation Drive to Stringtown Road, providing multi-modal access to a rapidly developing residential and business area between the I-270 and MD 355 corridors. The project improves mobility and safety for local travel, improves pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular access to residential, employment, commercial and recreational areas. It also provides a facility for implementation by Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) for the Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT) including two stations. The transitway will be Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and will be located in the median area of Observation Drive.